On Wednesday, Apr. 2, in the Great Hall Auditorium, the lights dimmed on an eerily quiet day, and the room came alive, transforming into something completely different—part screen, part stage, and entirely surreal.
With projections unraveling across the walls and performances echoing through the room, “Surreal Realities” wasn’t just another campus event. It was a multimedia storytelling showcase created by two student-run communications clubs, CommWorks and HawkInteractive.
The inspiration that started this journey stemmed from a shared vision to create something new and different.
“‘Surreal Realities’” was inspired by our excitement to collaborate with Hawk Interactive to combine our aspects of oral performance with their technology skills,” said Giovanna Territo, a junior communications major and President of CommWorks. The chosen theme, “Surreal Realities,” wasn’t just a name but an invitation for performers to explore anything from personal experiences to alternate worlds with complete creative freedom, so to speak.
Preparation for the event was not easy either. With the vision in motion since last semester, rehearsals topped with workshops allowed students to dig through their pieces while experimenting with the visual aspects. “Each individual performer wrote their scripts and received feedback from other members during rehearsals,” Territo explained.
The process blended performance with projection mapping, which was uncharted territory for both clubs. HawkInteractive handled the technical side, using platforms such as MadMapper, a video mapping service, and other tools. As Moises Meza, a junior communications student and tech lead for the event, explained, “We used projectors, an audio board, and a lighting board to coordinate and create the graphics and audio for each performance.” He explained that working in tandem with CommWorks to create the surreal and totally immersive experience was so unique, as was the chance to collaborate with his peers.
The immersive element was also a leap for CommWorks, a club known for its intimate and performative style. “CommWorks is very much not into digital projections,” said senior and Vice President Bridget Capano, “So it was really interesting… timing came into it, sound came into it, and you had to be in certain parts of the stage at certain times.”
Jefferson Gonzalez, HawkInteractive’s President, echoed the same challenges. “I didn’t know what to envision at first, but once we started testing what projection mapping could do, it opened a new door in my brain,” Gonzalez said.
Each performer brought something distinct. Territo’s “Growing Up” moved through childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. Capano’s “Maple” reflected on nature and ecological loss. Gonzalez’s “El Barrio” honored his roots and Hispanic identity. Other standout moments included Kaitlyn Hackett’s introspective “It’s Only Fictional,” a meditation on fantasy versus reality, and Matthew DeVita’s “In the Shadows of Paris,” about a city he couldn’t leave behind. Pieces like “The Long Road Ahead,” “The Phantom’s Monologue,” and “And The Sun Burned so Bright” added additional emotionality.
For those in the audience, the event left a lasting impression. “Each performance was uniquely different from one another, and the graphics perfectly matched each story,” said junior communications major Anthony Cassieri. “You could really tell how passionate everyone was. It really was unlike anything I’ve ever seen at Monmouth.”
The impact lingered as the lights rose and the crowd filtered out. “I hope the audience was able to see the importance of collaboration, hard work, and dedication,” Territo said.
“Surreal Realities” didn’t just tell stories. It made the surreal feel real through community, creativity, and technical production.
